Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an operation control system to be used when teaching a robot by using a teaching apparatus such as a teaching pendant.
Description of the Related Art
Up to now, in a case where an operator starts operation of a manipulator having a hand 4 and an arm 3 by using a teaching apparatus such as a teaching pendant, the operator himself/herself needs to determine manipulation in conformity to a direction in which the operator desires to operate the manipulator on the basis of a reference for the operation such as a coordinate system which has been set and a current position of the manipulator. A coordinate system serving as the reference for the operation can be set in the manipulator, but the number of coordinate systems that can be set is not one, and a plurality of coordinate systems may be set. Therefore, for example, as illustrated in FIGS. 5A and 5B, there may be a case in which the operator recognizes that a coordinate system is a left-hand oriented system (FIG. 5A), however, a coordinate system actually set in the manipulator is a right-hand oriented system (FIG. 5B). In such a case where the operator has recognized the coordinate system incorrectly, the manipulator may excessively move in a direction that is not intended by the operator, and the manipulator may interfere with or collide against a peripheral device or the like. Accordingly, the operator needs to check whether or not the manipulator is operated in an assumed direction. When checking this, in general, an operation speed of the manipulator is set at a safe speed at which the manipulator can be stopped before interfering with the peripheral device even if the manipulator moves in a direction that is not intended by the operator, and the operator slightly moves the manipulator in the assumed direction to carry out the checking. Furthermore, after the checking, the operation speed is set again at an operation speed desired by the operator.
As described above, since the operation speed of the manipulator needs to be changed each time the operation direction is checked, the operation by the operator is complicated, and there may be also a case that due to an operational error made by the operator, the manipulator is operated at a high operation speed that is not safe even when the operation direction is checked. In view of the above, as described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 8-300280, the following control system is used for the operation. The operation speed of the manipulator is automatically and mandatorily determined at the safe operation speed during a certain period, which is set in advance, from the start of the operation, and after the period ends, the operation speed of the manipulator is automatically switched to the set desired operation speed.
However, according to Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 8-300280, the operation is mandatorily carried out at the safe operation speed during the preset period from the start of operation. Accordingly, when the manipulation is interrupted for some reason while the operator performs the operation in a certain direction, the operation is again performed at the safe operation speed during the preset period from the restart of operation even in a case where the operator performs the operation in the same direction as the direction before the manipulation is interrupted. Accordingly, even when the operation is performed in the operation direction of the manipulator which has already been checked, the operation is again carried out at the safe speed during the preset period from the start of operation, which is a redundant process, and the teaching for the manipulator takes time accordingly.